Category Archive

Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Uncategorized”

US immigration services set to furlough two-thirds of its workers after coronavirus stimulus talks fail

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services notified about 13,400 of its 20,000 employees that they would be furloughed Aug. 30 because of budget shortfalls, which the agency hoped Congress would fill in its next relief package before negotiations stalled last week. “In the past few months, USCIS has taken action to avert a fiscal crisis, including limiting spending to salary and …

Trump administration has put DACA applications ‘on hold’ despite Supreme Court ruling restoring program

Trump administration officials said during a federal court hearing Friday that they have not “granted nor rejected” any applications for a program designed to protect young undocumented immigrants from deportation, but rather have put them “on hold” as the government discusses the future of the program. The virtual hearing in the U.S. District Court in Maryland was the first time …

USCIS must accept new DACA applications in the 4th Circuit

USCIS must accept new DACA application in the 4th Circuit and may accept those filed in all other circuits. Historically, USCIS rescinded DACA. The U.S. Supreme Court vacated the rescission and restored DACA to pre-rescission status. IBLF recommended new DACA applications. USCIS then denied new DACA applications. Last week, Maryland District Court stopped USCIS from denying new DACA applications and …

Trump administration reverses course on foreign student ban

The Trump administration has reversed course over a new rule that would have banned some international students from studying in the U.S. this fall. The measure would have required international students to transfer schools or leave the country if their colleges hold classes entirely online because of the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Massachusetts said Harvard University and …

Congressional Leaders Urge ICE and DHS to Withdraw New Guidance for International Students Taking Online Courses

Ninety nine (99) members of Congress sent a letter to DHS and ICE urging the agencies to withdraw the new guidance issued by ICE that states that international students may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States. The letter support that the announcement of modifications to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program’s requirements for …

U.S. Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools fully online for the fall semester

Students attending schools operating entirely online may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States. The U.S. Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and/or programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will U.S. Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the United States. Active …

4th Circuit Denies Asylum Claim On Family Relation

One of the most difficult areas of asylum law is to determine what social group you are in if you are claiming asylum, and if that is the reason that you are in danger of persecution. While membership in a family is now established as a possible social group, it is important to tie the danger of persecution to the …

US Supreme Court Preserves DACA

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday, June 18th, that the Trump administration cannot carry out its plan to shut down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which has allowed nearly 800,000 young people, known as Dreamers, to avoid deportation and remain in the U.S. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-rules-trump-cannot-end-daca-big-win-dreamer-n1115116?fbclid=IwAR20dr4j1fgFCSuByRppJTDQF5TFFfrhNSVSbI7ArlarWXBbBjZwFW7EatI

7th Circuit Blocks Public Charge Burden

This decision releases the Supreme Court stay which permitted the Trump administration’s policy against immigrants to become effective. Not the end of the battle, but a victory. An excellent article discussing the merits of this issue was posted in the Washington Post on Friday: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-is-so-set-on-harassing-immigrants-that-his-immigration-agency-needs-a-bailout/2020/06/11/52c2ae06-ac1b-11ea-9063-e69bd6520940_story.html

Immig Judges’ Authority to Administratively Close Restored

The US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has restored Administrative Closure as an inherent power of Immigration Court judges, effectively overruling the current administration’s attempt to preclude this standard procedure. This tool permits adjudication of pending applications by temporarilly suspending immigration court proceedings. This is a very good decision for persons in immigration court proceedings because when there is potential …

Page 2 of 3
←
1
2
3
→

Steffanie J. Lewis is a founding attorney, vice president and secretary of IBLF and, since 1999. She is counsel to several corporations, including an international trade association, an international foundation, an international computer demographic marketing corporation, a U.S. airline with international routes, an international artist & company, a national medical laboratory, a national self defense association, and numerous individuals with claims in products liability, aviation and real estate contract, medical malpractice, and numerous criminal offenses.

In addition to her corporate role, Ms. Lewis supervises all immigration work, representing clients in Immigration Court and multiple Federal circuits, most actively in the Fourth Circuit dealing with the immigration implications of fraud, criminal matters, due process, and statute interpretation.

Albert Z. Lewis is the managing attorney of the law firm, responsible for the administration, and service for the various technologies being used.

Mr. Lewis’s particular specialties are the electronic filing done with the USCIS, as well as through the ECF systems for the US District Courts, as well as EDGAR, the computer filing system for the US Securities and Exchange Commission. He also appears regularly in Immigration Court, supervises all aspects of family-related immigration filings, and has written numerous appeal briefs for immigration and other appeals. He has represented children and adults under the Criminal Justice Act, through programs at the DC Superior Criminal Court as well as the DC Counsel for Child Abuse and Neglect.